(WKYT) – The Kindred Roots program is closing after the Kentucky state budget eliminated all funding for the program reportedly with no advance notice.
Kindred Roots, launched in 2022, is a program geared toward “providing trauma-informed family reunification support, supervised visitation, parenting education, fatherhood engagement, court advocacy and guidance, case management, and resource coordination,“ says the The Bair Foundation.
Kindred Roots currently serves families in Clark, Fayette, Madison, and Scott Counties. The program provides transportation to both children and caregivers, which is a service provided by no other programs in the area.
Renay Crouse, Chief Executive Officer at The Bair Foundation says, “This is a devastating loss, for the families we served, for the dedicated Kindred Roots staff who showed up every day, and for the communities who counted on this work.”
Crouse says the elimination of their funding is a reflection on the state, not the program’s outcomes, quality of work, or commitment to their cause. The program has served more than 1000 children and adults since its start in 2022 according to the Bair Foundation.
Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman visited the Kindred Roots offices in 2025, and the Bair Foundation website shares her response, “Success does not happen in a vacuum, and one group does not deserve all the credit. The biggest challenges our communities face require involvement from government agencies, private businesses, community members, and nonprofits. That is what is happening at Kindred Roots…”
The Bair Foundation is seeking emergency philanthropic funding to keep services active. Otherwise, the program will shut down June 30. They say the elimination of their funding is part of a larger trend where Kentucky officials have cut community-based mental health and social services programs in the state.